Reunion
by Rytex
Summary: POST-INHERITANCE, MAJOR SPOILERS, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.  It has been 100 years since Eragon left Alagaesia.  He and Saphira feel empty for leaving their loved ones, but a surprise visit might change that.  AryaxEragon, FirnenxSaphira, Oneshot.


**Wow, I am proud to say that I am the first person in history to post a post-Inheritance fanfiction. This will be an AryaxEragon and FírnenxSaphira oneshot. In case you are too stupid to read the summary I posted earlier, here is my disclaimer.**

**THIS STORY CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR INHERITANCE! AND BY MAJOR, I MEAN MAJOR! SERIOUSLY GUYS, IF YOU WANT TO READ THE STORY UNSPOILED, DO NOT READ THIS FICTION!  
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**Now for the legal disclaimer.**

**I do not own the Inheritance Cycle. The only things I own from this story are Amystïs and Forána, Saphira's friends in here.**

**EDIT: Holy crap guys. In 3 days, I have gotten 18 reviews (the most of any of my stories) out of 745 hits. That's a little over 1 review for every 41 hits. I wish my Ruin and Creation would get that much. Also, due to popular demand, I have changed the names of the elf Rider and dwarf Rider.  
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><p>Reunion<p>

Autumn came slowly that year. The trees began to show the signs of change that meant winter was fast approaching.

Eragon looked out over the balcony at the new Doru Araeba, which had been built on an island they had found three days after leaving Alagaësia. The towering stone structures that were the buildings of the city were filled with people, from human to elf, and dwarf to Urgal.

He felt the familiar pang of sorrow as the significance of the day hit him once again.

Saphira sensed his discomfort, and it multiplied all the more because she had felt the same way about leaving.

A single tear fell from his right eye and almost trickled into his mouth, had he not caught it at the last minute and flicked it away.

It had been a century to the day. A hundred years had passed since he had left his home, his friends, his family, his lo- He stopped at the last part. It was too much. He couldn't bear to think of her. It would only cause him more pain.

He sensed Saphira let out a moan of grief also from above. Her companions, the dragons Amystïs and Forána, cast inquisitive thoughts at her, which she ignored.

Eragon looked out to sea, as he knew the new ship would be arriving soon that day, and with it, the new students whom the dragon hatchlings had chosen to be their riders.

Blödhgarm appeared behind him, silent as the night.

"What do you stare at, Eragon?" he asked.

Hiding the sorrow, he said, "It's been a century."

"Aye, so it has."

Eragon was more frustrated than ever at the elf's apparent lack of expression or emotion.

"Don't you miss it? Don't you miss the forests or the cities?"

Blödhgarm shut his eyes.

"More than you can imagine, Kingkiller."

He hunched his head.

"I came to alert you to the fact that Queen Arya has announced her intentions to abdicate the throne."

"What!"

He spun around, eyes wide and surprised.

"Aye. She named Lord Däthedr the new king in her stead and, so far as we could tell, she is traveling around to alert the current rulers know of her abdication. Beyond that, however, Vanir refused to tell me. Whether it is because he does not know or was told not to say I cannot discern."

While Eragon had made brief trips back to Alagaësia to officially crown the new rulers of each realm, and to attend the funerals of Roran and Katrina, he never stayed long.

In fact, there had been one time where he had been there to crown the new king of Alagaësia, Gestahl of Aroughs, and it so happened Arya and the Elf-Lords were there as well, but as soon as his duties were done, Eragon left without so much as making eye contact with her. She knew the reason as well as he did: it would cause them both too much grief.

The closest Saphira and Fírnen had gotten to each other was at Roran's funeral. Arya had been unable to attend, but Fírnen had come in her stead. The two dragons locked eyes, touched minds, and said their goodbyes soon after.

Eragon jolted himself out of the memory.

Blödhgarm had left him some moments ago, he had been aware of that, but he had ignored all else.

He caught sight of a silver ship on the far horizon, sailing toward them.

It was the elven ship carrying the new Riders.

He sighed, stretched, and picked up Brisingr. He tied the scabbard to the Belt of Beloth the Wise, which had been recovered by the Varden's army as they had attempted to aid in the reconstruction of Dras-Leona.

With a final, decisive action, he picked up Aren and slid it onto his finger, remembering who the ring had belonged to, as he always did.

As he descended the stairs, he thought of the new class of Riders, and he vaguely wondered who would be lucky enough to get him as a teacher. His last apprentice had been an Urgal, who was Nar Garzhvog's grandson, and had listened to his grandfather's stories about Firesword and the dragon Flametongue growing up.

He emerged out of his tower, onto a side road, which led onto the main road that served as a path between the Riders' citadel and the city's harbor.

Saphira flew down to where she was only a hundred feet above them and they proceeded toward the harbor somberly, trying not to think of the day.

Murtagh, Blödhgarm and the other Riders joined him as they walked toward the harbor.

"Where's Thorn?" asked Eragon.

"With his mate in their nest." Murtagh answered, the corners of his mouth twitching as he said it. It was well-known that Thorn was incredibly clumsy, a side-effect of his accelerated growth, an his mate was, if anything, worse. The unintentional havoc and destruction caused by their courting would not soon be forgotten.

Finally, they stopped just before the dock that the silver ship in the distance would stop at.

"How many did Vanir say were being transported here, this time?" asked one of the elven Riders, which Eragon knew as Legolas.

"Seven, but as always-" started his dwarf companion, Gimli, which was finished by the elf saying, "another egg or two could have hatched since then, I know."

Eragon was watching as several small shapes danced around the ship in the air, which he knew were the hatchlings. He smiled a bit as he saw two of them collide and fall into the water, and then emerge, chattering at each other in annoyance.

Suddenly, a larger shape detached itself from the ship and flew up.

Eragon's eyebrows rose. He knew a couple of Riders were over at Alagaësia on missions, but why had this one come on the ship when it would have been much faster to fly?

The dragon was too far off to determine which one it was, but something about the dragon's haste stirred something in him.

"_Little one..._" said Saphira, as she squinted at the dragon.

As the shape grew closer, Eragon saw a flash of green come from the dragon as the sun crossed it.

"_Eragon! It's Fírnen!_" Saphira crowed at him.

Eragon didn't need telling twice.

"Audr!" he barked, causing himself to fly up to Saphira, where he landed on her saddle and she shot off as fast as her wings would carry her.

Fírnen redoubled his efforts and they both thrust out their minds just as Eragon and Fírnen's rider did the same.

"Eragon!" came the musical call from her consciousness.

"Arya!"

Finally, when they both met in midair and landed on the ground, Eragon leapt off of Saphira and dashed toward Arya, who was moving toward him almost as fast as she was to him.

She hadn't changed one bit, except she seemed a little more confident than she had been, if that was possible.

They met halfway, embracing each other in the middle of the grassy field, tears streaming from both of their eyes, and huge smiles on both of their faces.

Meanwhile, Saphira and Fírnen had taken off after their Riders had dismounted, and were playing with each other the same way they would before Eragon and Saphira left, playfully snapping at each other and entwining their necks.

Eragon whispered Arya's true name, and he felt her shiver. She then repeated his, and he shivered as well. Despite a century-long absence, they had remained as intimate as they had when they had left.

"You haven't changed at all. A hundred years have passed and you still look as young as when you slew Galbatorix."

"It's so good to see you! But why are you here? I heard the news that you were abdicating, but I thought you were announcing it to the rest of the kings and chiefs."

"I was, that is to say, I did. I contacted King Gestahl, Orik, King Larkin, and Nar Skgagresh and told them of my plans. Then I crowned Lord Däthedr in front of the other Lords. Finally, I told Vanir to tell you what I had already done. Speaking of which, Orik sends his greetings. Royal salutation aside, I meant to surprise you by coming here." she said, finishing with a radiant smile.

Eragon smiled in return.

"How long will you be here?" he asked, pleased.

Arya hesitated.

"Eragon, I have abdicated my post as Queen of the Elves. I have no other family in Alagaësia, nor do I have any more purpose in staying there on my own. Therefore, Fírnen and I have decided that we were going to come and live here. I had hoped that, in terms of our relationship, we could pick up where we left off." she said.

As she said this, Eragon felt himself tear up. She had given up her post to be with him.

"Arya-"

He was silenced when she closed the gap between them and kissed him. Shocked at Arya's boldness, he didn't comprehend what was happening for several moments. When he finally did, his eyes slid shut and he embraced Arya even harder, never wanting to let her go.

When they broke apart, Arya smiled uncertainly, and Eragon smiled back.

"Excuse me, Kingkiller and Shadeslayer, but Eragon is needed to greet the new Riders."

Blödhgarm's voice was so unexpected that both Eragon and Arya flinched, even though their elven senses should have alerted them both to his arrival.

Blödhgarm appeared amused at his findings.

He strode off, not waiting for them to catch up.

Eragon strode forward a step, stopped, and then turned and offered a hand to Arya.

It tickled Eragon to think that for a hundred years, he had thought that all of Angela's prophecies had been fulfilled in his favor except this one. Well, now it appeared as if the epic romance had ended in happiness.

She took his hand and they walked back to the city, and toward their new future.

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><p><strong>The first post-Inheritance fanfiction in history is complete. I will forever go down in history as the first person to write a fanfiction after the series is completely over. I, honestly, am saddened by the end of one of my favorite book series ever. Well, anyway, thanks for reading.<strong>

**And by the way, thanks to Espent1004 for pointing out a few errors he found in here.  
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**NOW REVIEW!**


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